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April 16, 1929. c. H. KINDL 1,709,079 7 ENGINE STARTER 7 Filed July 2'7. 1922 7a exhausf pipe imake pl 'ne.

7b exhausf pipe. 75 lhfukepjne mvENTdk Carl /1. lfl'lldl.

7 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

PATENT FLCE,

CARL I-I; KINDL, on rrrrsnunen, PENNSYLVANIA, Ass enon, BY iunsnn 'Assmnvrnnrs, T0 n'cmrsn iaaonrnn conranY; or ELMERA nerenrsfnnw YORK, A. conronn'rron on new YORK.

Application filed Ju1y'27,

My invention relates to engine starters and particularly to such starters as are antomatically connected to. and disconnected from the engines of motor vehicles.

One object of my invention is to provide an engine starter the operativeengagement of .which is automatically controlled in, accordance with the operation of the engine.

A second object of my invention is to pro:

vide an engine starter 01" the alcove-indicatedv character that is controlled by fluid pressure produced by the engine. 1 A third object oi my invention is to provide means whereby an engine starter may be automatically disconnected from the-engine when the exhaust pressure of the lat ter reaches a predetermii'ied value.

A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby an engine starter may he maintained out of engagement with the engine when the latter is rotating with out the occurrence of explosions in cylinders. I 4

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a view, partially in elevation and partial.- ly in section, of a portion of an engine fiywheel and a starting mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention that is associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, illustratingwthe positions of the several parts when the starter is in its inoperative position. I r

An engine flywheel 1 is provided with gear teeth 2 to be engaged by ajpinion '3 thatis drivenhy a' starting motor i, which may be an electric motorof the usual it'ype. The pinion '3, which is splined on the armature shaft of the motor for longitudinal movement thereon and forrotation there with, is controlled by a fluid-pressure mechanism 5 and a spring 6. p

The fluid-pressure mechanism comprises a cylinder 7 and a hollow piston 8 that is provided with an annular groove 9. A port 10 connects the groove 9 to the interior of the hollow piston 8. A pipe 12, which is connected to the cylinder at one end of the latter, is connected, at its other end, to the exhaust pipe of the engine (not shown). A second pipe 13 is similarly connected, at one end, to an intermediate portion of the cylinder and, at its other end, to the intake pipe ofthe engine. The piston 8 is connect- ENGINE STARTER.

1922. Serial No.577,833.

ed by means of'a rod 14 to thepinion 3 for longitudinal movement therewith.

Reference may now be had to Fig. 1 in which thevarious elements are illustrated in their respective positions that are assumed when the engine is not in operation. The S])llI1g6 exerts a force suflicient to retain the pinion 3 in operative engagement with the liyvheel gear 2. start the engine, the circuit of the motor may be completed in any usual or suitable manner to cause the motor to crank the engine. When the engine starts under its own power, the exhaust pressure produced by ton the position in which it is. illustrated in Flg. 2 to maintain the pinion 3 out of engagement with the flywheel. The connec- When it is desired to .assists the exhaust pressure toretain the pistion to the intake pipe performs a. useful function in that the engine may be operated. with the ignition circuit inoperative. In such case,,the. exhaust pressure will be relatively small, by reason of the absence of explosion in the engine cylinders. There will, however, be no change in the degree of vacuum produced in theintake pipe under the different conditions. It will he sure in the pipe 12 is also approximately ze r0, whereby the spring 6 actuates the pinion 3 and its connected mechanism to the respective positions in which they are illustratedin Fig. 1. The mechanism is then in position for the succeeding starting operation.

The employment of a starting mechanism constructed and arranged in accordancewith nent of the starting mechanism may be controll ed accurately according as the engine is stationary or is operating at an appreciable speed.

hat I claim as my invention:

1. The combination, with an internal combustion engine and its intake pipes, of a starting means movable to engage and crank the engine; and means, comprising fluid-pressuremechanism operatively connected with the starting means and also connected to be actuated by the engine exhaust and the vac uum of the intake pipe, to hold the starting means disengaged.

2. The combination, with an internal combustion engine and its intake pipe, of a starting means movable to engage and crank the engine, and means, comprising fluidpr essure mechanism operatively connected wlth the starting means and also connected to be actuated initially by the exhaust pressure of such engine and subsequently by the vacuum of such intake pipe, to hold the starting means disengaged.

3. The combination, with an internal combustion engine and its intake pipe, of a starting means having a driving member shiftable into and out of engagement with the engine, means automatically operable normally to engage said driving member with said engine when the latter is stationary and means operatively connected with said driving member and also connected to be actuated by the exhaust oi the engine and by the vacuum in said intake pipe, to eitect and maintain the disengagement of the driving member and engine when said engine is running.

4. The combination, with an internal combustion engine and its intake pipes, of a starting means adapted to engage and crank the engine, and means comprising fluid-pressure mechanism operatively connected. with the starting means, and actuated by the en gine exhaust and the vacuum of the intake pipe to hold the starting means disengaged, said fluid pressure mechanism including a cylinder having ports communicating with the engine exhaust and the intake pipe vacuum, and a piston reciprocable in the cylinder and actuating the starting means in its reciprocations.

The combination, with an internal combustion engine and its intake pipes, of a starting means adapted to engage and crank the engine, and means comprising fluidnessure mechanism operatively connected with the starting means, and actuated by the engine exhaust and the vacuum of the intake pipe to hold the starting means disengaged, said fluid pressure.mechanism including a cylinder having ports communicating with the engine exhaust and the intake pipe vacuum, and a piston rcciprocable in the cylinder and controlling the said vacuum port to connect the same to one side of the piston, the said exhaust port constantly communicating with the cylinder on the other side of the piston.

6. The combination with an engine and a starting mechanism therefor, of means for biasing a port-ion of said mechanism into engagement with said engine, and a cylinder having a piston and having, also, a plurality of ports connected respectively to the exhaust pipe and to the intake pipe of said engine, whereby said piston opposes the force of said biasing means when the engine is running.

7. The combination with an engine and a starting mechanism therefor, of means comprising a spring for biasing a member of said mechanism into engagement with said engine and a cylinder having a piston therein and having, also, ports respectively connected to the exhaust pipe and to the intake pipe of said engine whereby said piston is actuated to oppose said spring with a force that is dependent upon the exhaust pressure of the engine and the degree of intake vacuum.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of July, 192:2.

CARL H. KI'NDL. 

